How Nashville‘s Deacon Took Home a Dog Named Sue

You know that adorable boy puppy named Sue that Deacon reluctantly took on in the first season of Nashville? Well, now he’s really his in real life. Actor Charles Esten, who portrays Deacon in the ABC series, is in Nashville Lifestyles
‘ 25 Most Beautiful People issue and talks about his offstage life in the actual Nashville. He lives in the suburb of Brentwood with his wife, three kids and now Sue — although the Estens have renamed him Blue.

“The dog that played my dog on [the show] is now my dog in real life,” he said. “He’s the first I’ve ever owned. Thanks to the generosity of our creator, Callie Khouri, ‘Sue’ is now ‘Blue,’ and my kids can stop begging me for a dog.”

As for his musical chops on the show, Esten admits he thought he was a good guitar player until he was cast in the role of a guitarist.

“I thought I played guitar,” he said. “Then I came to Nashville. Now I just want to get as good as I can.”

Others featured in the issue include Tiffany Fallon (wife of Rascal Flatts member Joe Don Rooney) and Ivey Childers (best friend of Carrie Underwood and a baker of legendary cupcakes).

Fallon talks about her secret desire to be a baton twirler, her ancient age of 30 when she first posed for Playboy and how crazy she is about Rooney.

“I am constantly in awe of his generous spirit,” she says.

And Childers tells the magazine what it’s been like to take a hobby and turn it into IveyCake cupcakes, which people are waiting in line for.

“The first year felt like I was staying up with an infant all night by myself,” she said. “Endless work, no sleep and lots of tears.”